About the Community Social Planning Council

Vision

“Sustainable and inclusive communities creating their own social, economic and environmental futures.”

Mission

Community Social Planning Council leads social, economic and environmental planning in BC’s Capital Region. We engage community members and organizations, businesses and government to research social issues and create sustainable solutions.

Social Impact

We build the impact of community organizations, private sector interests and government agencies to meet social needs.

Our research and development work has resulted in new investments in affordable housing. Our Youth Program Quality Initiative has engaged youth programs reaching 2000 youth in identifying gaps and improving program quality.

We have brought together major employers to identify training gaps and areas for low-barrier job creation.

Our social finance work will lead to more capital from local residents staying local to create sustainable jobs, with our first capital raise in 2016 aiming to raise $1m across Vancouver Island.

Our poverty reduction work has coordinated community agencies, credit unions and government agencies to ladder more people out of poverty through financial literacy, matched savings and asset development programs.

Our Transit Ticket Assistance Program provides 137,000 free tickets and passes to people on low income to access transit for essential services (e.g. education, training, medical).

Our next phase of programs in social enterprise and employment development will create sustainable jobs for those facing barriers to labour market integration and progress.

Learnings: Regional fragmentation is a significant barrier to laddering people out of poverty. Relationships are weak between employers, trainers, funders, and social agencies. Over 300 social agencies provide a patchwork of support to vulnerable citizens. As a result people bounce around and fall through cracks. The philanthropic environment in our region is very tied to charity models, and not used to entrepreneurial approaches to address social need.

- September 2015

Mandate

(as stated in the Constitution)

The purpose of the Society is to improve the quality of life for everyone in British Columbia’s Capital Region, particularly the people who are disadvantaged due to poverty and distress. The work includes the advancement of factors influencing quality of life, including social well-being, community health and education and the alleviation of poverty and its related elements. In furtherance of and without limiting the forgoing, the Society will:

Be a catalyst and leader in bringing people together to create a just and vibrant community

Develop and enhance programs for public participation and collaboration that address trends and issues related to quality of life and social planning in our region

Disseminate knowledge to the public about trends and issues related to social planning and quality of life in our region through such activities as public events and the publication and distribution of educational literature and materials.

We recognize and acknowledge the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples and thank the Nations for the opportunity to live and work within their traditional territories.